Dr Guo said the analysis of data provided evidence on the temperature-related mortality risk in a wide range of climates and populations with different demographic, socio-economic and infrastructural characteristics.

“This evidence has important implications for the planning of public health interventions to minimise the health consequences of adverse temperatures, and for predicting the future impact under climate change scenarios,” he said.

“While a few studies have estimated premature deaths attributable to either heat or cold in selected countries, this is the first to offer a systematic assessment of the whole temperature range in populations exposed to different climates.”